Paratransit Dispatcher

City of Fargo•Fargo, ND

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Under limited supervision by the Operations Supervisor, the Paratransit Dispatcher performs various technical and clerical duties in carrying out the operation of the dispatch service for the City fixed route, paratransit and microtransit Systems. Positions in this class are responsible for receiving and transmitting calls from the public for paratransit and microtransit bus transportation. Incumbents draw upon training, experience and guidelines established by the Department and state and federal transportation agencies to determine the appropriate response to each call.

Requirements

High school diploma or its equivalent (G.E.D.)
0.4 or more years of experience working with the public, or equivalent experience sufficient to successfully perform the essential duties of the job
Knowledge of the concepts and principles of fixed route and paratransit operations
Skill in Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel and Access
Skill in operating computer terminals sufficient to enter, retrieve and manipulate data
Skill in English, both written and spoken
Skill in providing customer service
Skill in problem solving
Skill in handling cash and credit card transactions
Ability to communicate and interact effectively with coworkers, supervisors, the general public, and others, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work directions.

Responsibilities

Providing a high level of customer service when taking approximately 100-150 calls per day from the public and/or paratransit personnel and dispatching 12-15 drivers to provide bus rides under the paratransit and microtransit systems.
Performing general administrative support during work hours.
Communicating effectively, professionally and courteously and maintaining working relationships with others in carrying out job functions.
Frequently (more than 50% of the time) interacting with the public and others in the work unit while receiving calls requesting scheduling rides in advance or notifying of schedule changes; questions callers to determine desired pick-up location, destination and estimated travel time; explains detailed procedures and answers a variety of questions.
Serving as the first point of contact for customer complaints and concerns, providing initial de-escalation and resolution of routine issues.
Escalating more complex or serious concerns to the appropriate supervisor or department member for further resolution.
Communicating, coordinating, and sometimes negotiating with drivers and garage personnel to determine availability of service at the desired times and needs of clients.
Notifying Operations management staff of dispatch scheduling errors or concerns.
Maintaining records according to established procedures and precedents.
Receiving and documenting customer comments and complaints.
Notifying Road Supervisors of collisions and other situations requiring immediate attention.
Operating specialized department equipment.
Operating two-way radio communication system while taking both routine and non-routine calls from the public and others in the work unit.
Operating proprietary software packages to enter and retrieve information regarding reservations and schedules, drawing upon logical reasoning and judgment and taking into account various objectives.
Providing general office support services to the department.
Running reports of calls received and other data as required.
Filing documents and records.
Performing data entry and advanced analysis.
Serving as back-up staff for cashing handling and recording functions.
Processing cash deposits for paratransit.
Processing applications for paratransit, according to established procedures.
Performing all job duties in compliance with safety guidelines and with an ongoing awareness of safety practices.
Knowing and following department and city rules as well as sound work and safety practices in order to accomplish the job objectives and avoid injury or loss.
Wearing proper protective equipment when policy requires or conditions indicate a need exists and utilizing proper body mechanics and ergonomics while performing work.
When potentially unsafe conditions are observed, making efforts to avoid or correct them if they are controllable and drawing them to the attention of the responsible supervisor or safety representative in a timely manner.
Performing other duties and activities as assigned.